Tasmanian woodchip production reached its highest ever level of recorded production in the March 2000 quarter, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today.

Chipped and ground wood production reached 1,308,715 tonnes, an increase of 31.2 per cent on the same quarter of 1999, to be the highest recorded figure in the survey's 30 year history.

The volume of logs delivered to mills for woodchipping in the March quarter 2000 was 1,152,113 cubic metres, approximately one third (33.5 per cent) more than in the same quarter in 1999. Log deliveries to sawmills and plywood mills for the March quarter 2000 totalled 215,330 cubic metres, an increase of 1.8 per cent when compared to the same period in 1999.Sawmilling output of timber in the March quarter 2000 reached 87,021 cubic metres, 10.3 per cent higher than output for the same quarter in 1999. Hardwood sawn timber production increased by 7.9% to 39,112 cubic metres and softwood timber production (47,909 cubic metres) also rose 12.4 per cent on the same period in 1999.

The total volume of logs delivered to sawmills and woodchip mills in Tasmania during the March quarter 2000 was 1,367,443 cubic metres, an increase of 27.3 per cent. Of this total 57 per cent were logs from crown land.

Further details can be found in Tasmanian Statistical Indicators (cat. no.1303.6), available from ABS bookshops. This publication also contains information addressing areas such as population, births, deaths, marriages, employment and unemployment, wages and prices, production statistics, building, finance, trade, retail sales, tourism and motor vehicle registrations.

The summary of the publication can be found on this site. If you wish to purchase a copy of this publication, contact the ABS bookshop in your capital city.